How ASB spends its money
Jacky Tsang
Staff Writer
Students play an essential role in the success of the Associated Student Body (ASB) at American High School. Thanks to the student participation, ASB is able to earn enough money to provide for the school on an annual basis
According to Activities Director, Mr. Fulton, ASB earns approximately $20,000 – $30,000 from student-sold merchandise every year, which, as a result, allows for school events to happen.
“All ASB money is student generated,” Fulton said. “The number one rule for ASB is student raised money is spent on the students. The money [is used] for rallies and supplies that we need for themed weeks, like International Week.”
Just this year, ASB purchased a new stage as well as some equipments for Winter Ball. Additionally, ASB also bought annual apparel and student supplies.
“Depending on what we need to buy, [the amount of money spent] varies year to year,” Fulton said. “The general thing we always spend money on is merchandise, like Eagle Nation gear and agendas.”
However, ASB does not keep all the money earned. Some of the money earned from selling ASB cards go directly to the sports program.
“For every ASB card sold, we give $5 to athletics; that covers the discount students get and for the last couple of years, we’ve been letting students go to home games for free if they have one,” Fulton said. “Other than that, each sports fundraise themselves.”
Fulton also revealed that the athletics is the one of the few programs that receives funding from ASB (ASB does pay for printing expenses for Eagle Era). As a result, many of these programs that aren’t sports-related, including Crafts and Baking Club, expressed dissatisfaction.
“With the great number of clubs at AHS, a large portion of the student body takes part in club activities, either as club officers or members,” club president Melinda Chang (12) said. “Since clubs are important in organizing school events, I feel that clubs deserve to have some funding.”
In an attempt to help clubs raise money easily, ASB has been allowing clubs to earn money during two fundraising events: International Week and Fundraising Week. However, clubs found it particularly difficult to fundraise because of the lack of student participation in these events.
“Fundraising tends to be very difficult for most clubs,” Chang said. “Although clubs are allowed to have a fundraising week at SAC, this week is hard to plan for in catering towards students’ interests, while dealing with restrictions on products we can sell.”
As a result, many of these programs have looked to other methods as a way to earn money. Just recently, marching band held an event solely for raising funds called the Penny Drive.
This fundraiser aimed to help band earn money to purchase new uniforms. Every day at lunch during the week of March 16, band members organized small performances that encouraged students to donate any amount of change in helping band reach its goal.
“We earned $1141.00 because we always work hard for money [and] it’s hard to earn money,” Color Guard Jennifer Fong (11) said. “For the Penny Drive, the instrumentalists practiced and played songs during lunch just to get exposure, while also helping us earn money. We asked our friends for donations, we gave donations.”
Eagle Era 